Warm soup for a chilly day lunch

Rutabaga also is known as yellow turnip even though it’s not really a turnip,
just a close relative. Whatever its lineage, the winter vegetable is worth
trying. It has a lovely, sweet flavor and is great roasted, sauteed or cooked in
soup and stews.

This soup is heavy on the vegetables and legumes and light on the ham, which
is used more as a seasoning than as a main ingredient. Like most lentil soups,
it’s a wonderful late winter tonic, hearty enough to serve as supper with a hunk
of bread.

You can do a lot with this stick-to-your ribs soup which, by the way, also
makes a wholesome lunch. Use it as a sauce over butternut squash ravioli.
Present it alongside a slice of quiche baked with smoky ham or bacon — that
smoke note makes a nice flavor complement to the ham.

Other ways to jack up this rustic concoction include putting in a splash of
Port wine just after adding the broth. Or just before serving the soup drizzle a
bit of balsamic reduction over the top. Garnish with a garlic croustini.

Heat oil in a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add
celery and onion, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add
garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Add lentils, cubed rutabagas or turnips, potatoes,
chopped ham and broth. Boil, then cover the pot with a lid placed slightly ajar.
Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the lentils and the vegetables are cooked
through.

Process the soup with an immersion blender; or blend in batches.Taste, and
adjust the seasoning as needed.